# Batman v. Hannibal Lecter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808 "2006-02-23T16:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/1 "2006-02-23T16:57:30Z")
I’ve been reading over some essays on this topic done by my students as a writing exercise. The kids,overwhelmingly, gave it to Batman. The kids did a good job of describing each character’s strengths and weaknesses. Some even took it so far as draw parallels between the characters. In the end, those who decided on Batsy figured his athletic prowess and gadgets would prevail. The few who handed it to Hannibal were inclined to believe that his ruthlessness and ability to exploit psychological weakness in others (remember how he killed Multiple Miggs) would let him break The Bat mentally and then do with him as he would physically. FTR, I’d go with Hannibal. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/2 "2006-02-23T17:12:16Z")
But Bane tried the same stuff with Batman…he also did his best to break him mentally. And Bane is not far off from Lecter at all. I’d still have to go with Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/3 "2006-02-23T17:13:38Z")
Batman. If he’s prepared…with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/4 "2006-02-23T17:16:15Z")
Batman… if he’s prepared. Actually, Batman’s sort of broken mentally already, and at least as ruthless as Lecter. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/5 "2006-02-23T17:19:23Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Batman. If he’s prepared…with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Damn you to hell. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/6 "2006-02-23T19:44:56Z")
Lecter is a badass, but he looks all the more invulnerable partly because there’s nobody in his world that’s in his league. He’s a Moriarty with no Sherlock Holmes. I give it to Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/7 "2006-02-23T19:49:19Z")
Lecter’s strictly a Bush league psycho compared to the Joker. And he doesn’t have the fighting skills or toys to back it up physically. And mentally, Lecter can’t break what’s already broken. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/8 "2006-02-23T20:02:23Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Batman. If he’s prepared…with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. There was a similar thread a while back. Someone posted this idea : If Batman loses, he’s prepared with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Batman always wins, if he’s prepared. Therefore, it’s _logically impossible_ for Batman to lose ! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/9 "2006-02-23T22:16:33Z")
I can imagine Lechter’s speach… You carry weaponry that even the military hasn’t seen. Few can afford that. You either have money or are being funded. (sniffs the air) You smell of cheap machine oil, but under that I detect Ode de Cash cologne, $900 an ounce, two three days old. So you must have posed as a wealthy man. Now what would drive a man to dress up as a bat and use violence against others. Some trauma in your background. Do you remember about 20 years ago a wealthy couple got shot in an alley leaving behind their only son. You must have read about it, it was in all the papers. Batarang smashes him in the head. Batman hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/10 "2006-02-23T22:50:03Z")
The only way Lecter can best anyone physically is if he catches them by surprise. He might get one shot in on Bats, but then reflex takes over and Lecter gets pounded into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/11 "2006-02-23T22:55:31Z")
Batman knows how to hit people with his fists. Lecter will find it hard to talk with a broken jaw. Of course, if you were going to make a comic book out of this, Lecter would wind up new in Gotham City and start committing his crimes. Batman tries to track down the killer while, for some reason or another, he winds up sitting on Lecters couch. Maybe the events in Infinite Crisis get him all moody. Maybe he winds up scared of the dark. Anyways, Lecter puzzles out Bruces secret. If you go with IC reasons, Bruce is talking about control and trust issues. Lecter puts two and two together and winds up dismantling Batman through his personal life. Story ends with Batman having to kill Hannibal Lecter. Batman wins and loses. Both characters get to live up to their potential. That’s my $0.02. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/12 "2006-02-23T23:00:02Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > The only way Lecter can best anyone physically is if he catches them by surprise. He might get one shot in on Bats, but then reflex takes over and Lecter gets pounded into the ground. Not so. Harris very explicitly states that Lecter is unusually strong in the novel **Hannibal**. The novels and the movies indicate that he has more than passing skill with edged weapons. He also appears, from his encounter with the gypsy whose femoral artery he opens for example, to be so tuned in to his surroundings that it almost amounts to a sort of limited prescience. Admittedly, given his WWII era childhood he is elderly compared to present-continuity Batman. However, I will point out that Hannibal is _at least_ Batsy’s equal when it comes to being prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/13 "2006-02-23T23:04:13Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Not so. Harris very explicitly states that Lecter is unusually strong in the novel **Hannibal**. The novels and the movies indicate that he has more than passing skill with edged weapons. He also appears, from his encounter with the gypsy whose femoral artery he opens for example, to be so tuned in to his surroundings that it almost amounts to a sort of limited prescience. Admittedly, given his WWII era childhood he is elderly compared to present-continuity Batman. However, I will point out that Hannibal is _at least_ Batsy’s equal when it comes to being prepared. Yeah, but he is nowhere near Batmans equal in terms of combat skill. Physically, Batman is going to be superior in nearly every category even if we give Lecter an edge in strength. Batman has been fighting crazies for a good portion of his life. As soon as he gets in arms reach, the fight is over. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/14 "2006-02-23T23:23:52Z")
I’m with **Harborwolf**. Lecter has always lived in a world where he is one of the strongest, in a sane world. Gotham City is not a sane world, and he wouldn’t remotely be the strongest there. If the Joker or someone didn’t off him merely as a threat, he’d never be able to stand up to Batman. Besides, I’m fiercely loyal to Batman anyday. No one can take on Batman and win…at least, not forever. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/15 "2006-02-23T23:24:14Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Yeah, but he is nowhere near Batmans equal in terms of combat skill. Physically, Batman is going to be superior in nearly every category even if we give Lecter an edge in strength. Batman has been fighting crazies for a good portion of his life. As soon as he gets in arms reach, the fight is over. Possibly. Yet Batman is regularly tested by foes who aren’t his equal physically. The Joker, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/16 "2006-02-23T23:27:13Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’m with **Harborwolf**. Lecter has always lived in a world where he is one of the strongest, in a sane world. Gotham City is not a sane world, and he wouldn’t remotely be the strongest there. If the Joker or someone didn’t off him merely as a threat, he’d never be able to stand up to Batman. > > Besides, I’m fiercely loyal to Batman anyday. No one can take on Batman and win…at least, not forever. :mad: I yield to no man, or woman, in my admiration of The Bat. But look, Lecter can legitimately be described as a combination of Hugo Strange and The Joker. Either of them can be, and has been, right at the limit of what Batsy could handle. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/17 "2006-02-23T23:28:14Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Possibly. Yet Batman is regularly tested by foes who aren’t his equal physically. The Joker, for instance. Bane and Killer Croc disagree. I also think it’s stretching things to say that Lecter is going to be Batmans equal in all physical aspects. He may be unusually strong, but how about agility? How’s Lecters cardio looking these days. Hannibals source material gives no indication that he is physically equal to Batman in any area other than strength. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/18 "2006-02-23T23:32:42Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Bane and Killer Croc disagree. I also think it’s stretching things to say that Lecter is going to be Batmans equal in all physical aspects. He may be unusually strong, but how about agility? How’s Lecters cardio looking these days. Hannibals source material gives no indication that he is physically equal to Batman in any area other than strength. Why are we, apparently, limiting this to Batman and Hannibal thunderdoming? Batman has lots of physically unimpressive foes who have run him ragged over the years. Hannibal is, and source material backs this up, genius++++ in intelligence. He is certainly smart enough to figure out that, if he is to defeat Batman, street brawling isn’t the way to do it. Cripes, even The Penguin is that smart. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/19 "2006-02-23T23:38:55Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I yield to no man, or woman, in my admiration of The Bat. But look, Lecter can legitimately be described as a combination of Hugo Strange and The Joker. Either of them can be, and has been, right at the limit of what Batsy could handle. But Batman already faced Lecter, in the form of Bane, who had almost everything Lec ter had and more! I stand by my original statement. If Batman could defeat Bane, then Lecter is child’s play. Bane had armor plates injected into his body! Intelligence! Strength! A horrible childhood! Lecter’s got…a sharp wit. Uh-uh. Besides, I don’t think you really love the Bat. Otherwise you wouldn’t be going around saying this blasphemy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808/20 "2006-02-23T23:46:04Z")
Of course, even if Lecter manages to capture Bats and has him at his mercy, he’ll inevitably start monologing, giving Bats a chance to escape and counterattack. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batman-v-hannibal-lecter/345808.md?page=2)